Combined package and toy



Sept. 9 1924. 1,507,663

L. R. CARLEY ET AL.

COMBINED PACKAGE AND TOY Filed April 22. 1922 .6749 5.2. Q e a f g ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATE os1=1l LEONARD a. CARLEY, or warnnrowm AN nGEoReE KAY, or rnosrnc'r, CONNECTICUT. "I

COMBINED 'LPACKAGE AND TOY Application filedApril 9.2, 1922. Serial No. 555,951.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LEONARD RCA L'EY, a subject of His Majesty the King of Great Britain, and a. resident of VVatertown, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, and GEORGE KA a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Prospect, in the county of New'Haven and State of Connecticut, have made and invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Packages and Toys, of which the following is a specification. v

.Our invention relates to a combination package and toy and has for its object to provide a box or container which is adapted to house food, candies or other articles and serve as a container for the same during the storage, shipment and sale of the articles, and so designed and arranged that after the package or container has completed its service as such it may then be easily and quickly turned into a vehicle and serve as a toy for the amusement of the children, thereby providing a useful purpose for the empty containers which are ordinarily thrown away.

A further ob ect is to provide an article of this character which comprehends the utilization of v.a metal, cardboard or fiber box and with which is supplied suitable brackets onsupports which may be easily. and quickly attached to either the, bottom or side walls of the package and become firmly and securely. anchored thereto and capable of rotatively supporting suitable wheels and axles also provided with the package, and thus providing that the package may be readily converted into a toy vehicle. A; further object is: to accomplish the aforementioned ends in a simple and efficientmanner and to provide a construction which will be durable and lasting and capable of withstanding the considerable abuse which a toy of this character'is bound to receive. v

',With the foregoing and other objects in view, our invention consists in the improved combinationpackage and toy illustrated in the accompanying drawingand hereinafter described and claimed,'and in such variations and modifications thereof as. will be obvious to those skilled in the 'artto which our'finvention relates, it being understood secured to the bottom wall 1 1 that changes may be made within the scope of what isclaimed without departingfrom the spirit thereof. 7

The. preferred embodiment of our 'inven-- tion is disclosed in, the accompanying draw.- ings, wherein: Figure 1 is a view in perspective' of our novel combined package and toy, the pack age being in the nature of the usual candy box and so decorated that when serving as a toy it willsimulatejthe, appearance of a trolley car; 1 l '1 F1gure'2 is. a sideview of one ofthe wheel and axle supportingrbrackets;

Figure 3 is an end view of the same showing the manner in which it is attachedi to the container; I

Figure 4: is a view in side elevation, and F igure 5 a view in cross section of a somewhat modified form of bracket; Figure 6 is a view inside, elevation of a furtherv modification of the bracket Fig: ure 7 being a .view in transverse section of this latter form, showing it applied to, the side wall oft-he container and Figure ;8 .a

similar view showing it attached to the v bottom wall of the container; 1. Figure 9 1S atop planviewof thebottom of the container showing the manner in i FigureslO and 11 are views inside and transverse section. of a further ,7 modified form of bracket; 5

Figure 12 is a top plan view, and Figure fied form of bracket, the two bracketsbeing formed from a single strip of-inateria l which the bracket illustrated in Figure; 8 is' e15 a view in side section of a further modiand extending down through theflloottom i wall of the cardboard or fiber bon or container; V r i Figures lt and 15 are views in front elevationand in side section ofavery simple' F form ofibracket and adapted toj be secured to the bottom wall of the box and efficiently supportthe wheelsand axles.

Referring specifically to p the several views,

wherein similanreference numerals .desig 1 00 nate correspondingparts throughout, ajboor conta ner 201s decorated asiat. 21 so as to r-eprese nta'toy vehicle such as a trolley car, and is of the general shape and-com figuration of a candy box, although it may 1 serve to house shoes, foodstuffs or other articles ordinarily packed in fiber, cardboard or metal containers.

Originally located within the container are the wheels and axles A and axle supporting brackets B. After the container has completed its service as such and the goods originally packed therein have been removed, the brackets B are securely fastened to the side and bottom walls of the box so as to rotatably support the wheels and axles A. Each bracket, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, is formed of thin sheet metal and is provided at its lower extremity with the opening or recess 22 adapted to receive the axle therein. The upper portion of the bracket is bent downwardly upon itself as at 23 and then again upwardly as at 24, so as to form the open loop or trough 25 which is adapted to receive the side wall 26 of the container therein. The central portion of the bracket is cut away as at 27, so as to form the offset arm 28, the extremity 29 of which is bent upwardly so as to extend through the bottom wall 30 of the package, and after having pierced the same may be bent downwardly into engagement with the upper surface of the bottom wall, all as more clearly shown in Figure 3. In applying the brackets to the bottom and side walls of the container, they are forcibly thrust into place, piercing the bottom wall in the two places and receiving the side wall in the open loop or trough and thereby establishing a most rigid and substantial juncture With the container. The container is provided with .four such brackets, so as to re ceive and rotatably support the four ends of the axles. The wheels 31 are located adjacent the extreme ends 32 of the axles, so that after the brackets have been sprung over the extreme ends of the axles they will properly retain and support the same. In connection with the foregoing it is to be noted that in those instances where the container is formed of metal, the side and hot tom walls of the same will be provided with suitable slots, so that the brackets may be readily inserted in place without necessitating their actual piercing of the walls of the container. i

In some types of containers we have found that the offset attaching arm 28 may be omitted and the bracket constructed as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, wherein the body portion 33 is provided at its upper extremity with the spaced and parallel sideengaging members 34-35 connected together and in turn connected to the body 33 of the bracket; the spaced sides 34 and 35 defining an open loop or trough and adapted to receive the side wall 26 of the container therein and frictionally engage the acting as a support for the wheels and axles.

A somewhat different form of axle-supporting bracket is illustrated in Figure 6 and comprises the body portion 36, the upper extremity of which is provided with the spaced pointed tongues 37 and with the substantially centrally formed tongue 38. This particular type of bracket may then be attached to the container 39, as illustrated in Figure 7, by forcing the upper tongues 37 through the sides of the container and bending the central tongue 38 so as to pass through the side wall of the container and then bending the tongues 37 and 38 against the inner surface of the side walls.

This particular type of bracket may also be secured to the bottom wall of the container as shown in Figure 8, wherein the tongues 37 and 38 are first caused to pierce or pass through the bottom wall 40 of the container and are then bent into contact with the upper surface of the same, as clearly illustrated in Figures8 and 9.

An cfiicient axle-supporting bracket may also be constructed as illustrated in Figures 10 and 11, wherein the body 41 is provided or passed through slots in the bottom wall. 45 of the container and extended up along.

the inner surface of the side wall. The central portion 46 of this type of bracket is also slottedso as to form the outstanding arm 47 terminating in the sharpened point 48, which, after piercing or passing through slots in the bottom wall of the container, is adapted to'be bent into contacttherewith, similar to the previously described arm28, as illustrated in Figures'2 and 3.

A further and simpler form of bracket is L illustrated in Figures 14 and 15, wherein the a body portion 49 of the bracket is provided with an upwardly extending tongue 50 at its upper extremity and the downwardly extending tongues 51at its sides and intermediate its ends, .and these tongues, as illustrated in Figure 15, are adapted to pierce-or pass through slots in the bottom wall 52 of the package or container and then bend into engagement with the same, as at 53 and thus clinch and hold the bracket to the bottom wall and thus be capable .of properly supporting the axles and wheels.

A somewhat difierent'type of axle support is illustrated in Figures 12 and 13, wherein I two brackets are'formed froma single continuous strip of material. 54 the strip being provided with the U-shape slots 55 which" form suitable brackets proper 56, Th

provided With the tongues 58,1Vl1l0h are also bent at right angles to the plane of the strip a I and pierce or extend through slots in the bottom Wall of the container and are clinched tliereagainst as at 59,"thus holding the brackets properly in place.

From the foregoing it Will be apparent that the brackets may be made in several different Ways and are adapted to firmly engage the bottom or side walls of the container and thus convert the package into a vehicle Which Will serve as an efficient toy for the children. The container, as previously described, may be suitably ornamented or decorated, to thus increase the attractiveness of the toy. c

Having thus described and explained our invention, We claim and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A combination package and toy comprising a container, Wheels and axles therefor, and axle-supporting brackets having an open loop at their upper extremities adapted to pierce the bottom Wall of the container and to receive the side Wall in said open loop and rigidly engage the same and support the axles and Wheels.

2. An article of he character described comprising a container, brackets each provided With an open loop or trough adapted to pierce the bottom Wall of the container and receive and rigidly engage the side Wall thereof, and an offset arm carried by each bracket and "adapted to pierce and engage the bottom Wall of said container, and Wheels and axles adapted to be supported by said brackets and convert said container into ja toy vehicle.

3. An article of manufacturecomprisin'g a bracket provided at its upper extremity With an open loop or trough adapted to 1 pierce the bottom Wall of a container orbox and to frictionally engage the side Wall' thereof, an outwardly extending arm having an upwardly projecting point, the latter being adapted to pierce the bottom Wall of the container or box and to be bent over and clinch the same, and means at the lower'extremity ofsaid bracket adapted to support" 2 a heel and axle. Signed at Waterbury, in New Haven and State of Connecticut, this- 18th day of-April, A. D., 1922.

' CARLEY.

GEORGE H. KAY;

LEONARD- R.

Witnesses LUCY Bree, RUTH I L. SEGEAns;

the county co 

